Final Cut [Hardcover]

Eric Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1991

When fake fire alarms, muggings, damaged equipment and stolen film threaten to close down production of a film, Inspector Charlie Salter investigates and uncovers greed, ambition, and revenge. Reprint. NYT. PW.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Toronto movie set of a thriller about a Nazi concentration camp guard sighted long after the war is besieged by acts of sabotage: the sprinkler system goes off unexpectedly; the star is mugged; completed film is stolen; and, finally, there is a murder. Under the eyes of staff inspector Charles Slater of the metropolitan police, brought in to identify the culprit, mishaps escalate and smoldering animosities on the set burst into full-blown hatreds, to the point where any number of individuals can legitimately be viewed as suspects. Charlie, hero of seven previous mysteries ( The Night the Gods Smiled ), is a likable and savvy police veteran whose amiability is reflected in Wright's light, breezy tale where even the murder does not seem tragic. Essential clues remain hidden too long in Charlie's mind, but the story's strength resides more in its good humor than in its central mystery.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Toronto's Special Affairs Detective Charlie Salter ( A Sensitive Case ) returns as police advisor to a film crew shooting a movie about a Nazi war criminal in hiding. Costly practical jokes have plagued the project since its outset, and the producer faces ruin if he fails to meet his deadline. As damaging sabotage continues, Salter probes behind the scenes, contending with a prima donna scriptwriter, a know-it-all co-star, and assorted assistant directors. Wright continues the Salter series with his usual strong focus, refreshing Canadian backgrounds, straight-faced dry humor, well-balanced storyline, and taut suspense. Recommended.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 249 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition edition (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684193000
• ISBN-13: 978-0684193007
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,262,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent read, but not spectacular, August 21, 2004

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Final Cut (Inspector Charlie Salter Mystery) (Paperback)

A movie is being made in Toronto about a Nazi war criminal who has been hiding for decades, but is discovered and pursued. Suddenly, the movie set is sabotaged and vandalized with swastikas. Then, the writer is killed. Who's doing it? There are plenty of suspects and Inspector Charlie Salter sifts through the evidence in his slow but steady manner in order to find the culprit.

That, in a nutshell, is the book. It's a decent read, but not spectacular by any means. I liked the ending because it was not all wrapped up in a neat little package, like it was the end of a Scooby-Doo mystery. I get tired of that.

The main characters are interesting. The book reinforces my impression of movie-making - it is a tedious business, filled with lots of waiting and big egos.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from back cover, July 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Final Cut (Inspector Charlie Salter Mystery) (Paperback)

Sometimes the movie biz can be murder. Is it malicious mischief, or something more sinister? That's the question for Staff Inspector Charlie Salter, working undercover as a police "adviser" to a movie crew shooting in Toronto. A fake fire alarm, a missing can of film, a damaged sound machine, and a kidnapped actor are merely opening salvos in what appears to be an attempt to halt production on this ill-fated film. Yet who among the bickering cast and crew would want to see the movie fail? Could it be the Easter European actor who's made a name for himself playing villians; the arrogant, egocentric star; the flakey first assistant director; or the obnoxious screenwriter who's on everyone's hit list? It's a reel-life mystery that has Charlie Salter dreading the next scene. But when the leading man is mugged and a prime player is found with a dagger through his chest, Salter takes the lead in a homicidal drama that stretches from Toronto to Bucharest, on a trail steeped in blood, retribution, and corrosive memory.